The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-04-21
GLOVER AND TIMOTHY.
Why They Should Under No Consideration
Be Sown Together.

49, >-SJ
BE Sown Together.
1t always seemed to me to be a mis-
take to mix timothy and clover together
and SOW for a meadow. In order to
secure a good quality of hay it is very
essential that it be cut at as near the
proper stage as possible, and the nearer
this is done the better will be the hay
for feed, containing a larger amount
of nutriment and being better relished
by the stock. When two or more
varieties of plants are sown together,
either for hay or as a forage crop, it is
essential that they should all ripen at
the same time. If this is not secured
we will fail to ecure feed of the best
quality. If we cut when the first to
ripen is in the proper condition to
make feed of, the best quality of the
later crop will be too green and in con-
sequence will contain too much water,
which, in curing, will dry out and we
lose in weight as well as in the quality
of the hay. If we defer cutting until
the latest to ripen is at the proper stage,
the first will be so ripe that it will IN
tain too much woody fibre that
make very poor quality
of feed, making of it but little
value for nutriment. This, of course,
means a loss one way Dr. the other, and
when it can be done it is always advisa-
BILE to avoid this as fully as possible.
This with me is the principal objection
to sowing clover and timothy together
for a meadow-and this is a sufficient
one. The clover ripens early and if
properly cured and stored away makes
one of the very best feeds we can Sc
cure on the farm. 1t requires under
ordinary circumstances different man
agement in cutting and curing to tim
othy. If we delay the cutting until the
timothy is ripe enough to make good
quality of hay, the clover is entirely
too ripe. If we cut when the clover is
at the proper stage, the timothy will
be so green as to be of very little value
if cut and cured for hay. There is no
avoiding this condition. Either grain
alone are among the very best feeds we
can grow, and on fairly good soil will
give us good crops-mix and sow to-
gether and one or the other is lessened
considerably in value simply because
it is not possible to have them both
ripen at the proper time SO as to cut at
the best stage for making hay of the
best quality.
If it is desirable to mix something
else with clover as it often is to prevent
its lodging too much, l should certainly
recommend orchard grass. 1t is some
what coarser but it stands up we'll and
makes hay-if cut at the right time
of a good quality and it ripens at about
the same time as clover, so that in cut
| ting they can be cut at as lei the best
stage of making hay of the best quail
ty as it is possible to do the work. The
seed should be thoroughly mixed so as
to secure as even a stand as possible,
as if this is not done the orchard grass
seems u have a natural tendency to
| grow in stools and this in a meadow is
| ALWAYS to be avoided when possible.
| They can be sown at the same time
reasonably early in the spring on thor
oughly prepared land and under aver.
age conditions will make a very fair
crop and cut when the blossom has be-
gun to fall. will cut and cure properly
and a good quality of hay may be Sc
cured. While timothy will. in very
many cases. perhaps, make hay of
rather the best quality. yet for mixing
with clover to grow for hay 1 should
certainly advise using orchard grass
in preference to timothy.-N j. Step
kssd, in pss Noines fia.l Lea!.w